John Izzo and I are both members of an organization called The Learning Network. Among other things, the members support each other in various ways related to aligning work and life priorities; some might call it finding work/life balance, being “on purpose”, and just plain being happy. From my consulting work, I know these are topics that many executives and deeply concerned about.

So I was pretty jazzed when John sent me a copy of his newest book, The Five Secrets You Must Discover before You Die. The book is based on 235 interviews conducted with people aged 60-106 asking them to reflect back on their lives. He said that the purpose of the book was both to uncover the true secrets to happiness and meaning but also to kindle a conversation about eldership and to encourage people to seek the wisdom of the elders.

Each person interviewed was identified by friends and acquaintances as a person who they knew had found happiness and meaning in life. It turned out to include a very wide range of people from town barbers to aboriginal chiefs and CEOs.

So what are the Secrets?
1. Be true to yourself
2. Leave no regrets
3. Become love
4. Live the moment
5. Give more than you take

Needless to say there is a lot more to learn about each of these from the wise people John interviewed so I highly recommend you dig in — for more information on the book, go to www.theizzogroup.com

Also, Dr. John Izzo and The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die were reviewed along side the movie The Bucket List staring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson by ListenUp TV, and if you’d like to see a video clip, go to Beyond the Bucket List: http://www.listenuptv.com/programs/080127bucket.shtml